18 Comments:

Thanks .. there are a lot more under "my Photos". I was dreading what I would see after the ice storm, but the city has done a great job of cleanup and restoration.A lot of the damage seemed to be to the long leafed pines, and those are easy to replace and fast growing.

When the sister city of Isasaki Japan heard about the storm they sent a check for $16,000 to the Parks Dept to help with the cleanup. We need to figure out how to do something nice for them.

It's very nice that our sister city sent a check for $16,000 to the Parks Dept to help with the cleanup, John.

I have to wonder however, on the scale of Springfield priorities where "figuring out how to do something nice for them" in return should be slotted?

I mean, parks are a wonderful resource which all Springfieldians can and should enjoy and a certain amount of attention needs to be given them. I just question how much attention and at the expense of what other priorities?

What do you think would be an appropriate "nice thing" to do for them and how much time and City resources should be spent on figuring it out? How much money should be spent on reciprocation?

When is the City going to work out its differences with the Police and Firefighters?

I don't know. On a scale of priorities it just seems to me that the Police and Firefighters should be figuring higher on the scale than parks and my perception is that they aren't and don't. I think a lot of people have that same perception. Do you think it's a wrong perception?

Well ... I can't say how the people of Isesaki (correct spelling, sorry) sent the money. Maybe they are just more Christian and generous to their neighbors than we would be and less self-centered.

The Sister Cities Assn is a 501(c)3 that is financed by indivudals and corporate donations. The Botanical Society does a tremendous amount of work for the city as does the Master Gardeners Club. They put their money where their religion lies.

$20K is a drop in the bucket. Maybe you have in mind a Dillons Hallmark thankyou card for them?

Yes I think you need to retink what people who do unasked favors for you really man to you --- and think about it in terms of your religion.

If you'll re-read my reply to you, the second one, you will find that I conceded that parks are important to the City and that parks should receive some attention. You took that original reply and tried to exaggerate it to seem that I was suggesting that we should do nothing at all in reciprocation or simply send a crappy card. That was not my intent.

I simply asked about priorities.

You think it less than Christian to consider priorities?

Not only am I concerned about our parks, but further I am concerned about our parks being safe for the public to enjoy. Instead of simply responding to my questions you chose to paint me as an uncaring Christian. That's fine. It's your blog.

As I stated, the pictures you took are truly beautiful. I am impressed.

Sometimes I think I'm like that guy in the country western song, only instead of looking for 'love' in all the wrong places, I'm looking for 'discussion' in all the wrong places.

UFO's, man. Either that or raindrops on the lens. There are three objects in the sky in pic #1 and one significant object in the sky on pic #2. Either that or it's some type of governmental monitering device hovering above the FedMedCen. Either way, I smell a conspiracy and a cover up. Your lens just might have opened up a 6-pack of wup-ass. I'd flee if I were you.

These photos were taken Saturday, March 31st, and may have been John's last photography outing prior to his passing April 3rd. We had made two other trips to the Japanese Garden last year, and these photos are different, as it was cloudy. Photos have a different feel to them.

There was a large shrub with white blooms that neither of us recognized----I held a branch and John shot a photo to try and identfy the plant later. It's on his Flickr site...ah well.......Lorrie

Jacke m, if you look closely, there are some shadowy circles in the cloudy sky. Nearly perfect discs. Had not noticed them until I started looking after the other comments.No idea what they are---it was not raining at the time the photos were taken--we left before the rain hit.Lorrie

Lorrie, it is very rare that one finds a person who is brutally honest and can accept brutal honesty and yet step back and still appreciate the person, still care about the person. John was capable of that. He was capable of both giving his opinions vigorously and taking other's opinions when they were voiced vigorously. He was always approachable, even when others might have thought he was less than approachable, they would simply be wrong. I am finding it difficult to cope without knowing he's out there. Dang it. I miss him. He was truly one of a kind.

I don't mean to gush and go on and on, Lord knows we disagreed on about everything under the sun and moon. I just wasn't finished disagreeing with him yet.